Have you heard “you know what you know” (for instance, you might know how to write your name…)
And “you know what you don’t know “(for instance, you might know you couldn’t perform brain surgery…well, I know I can’t)
But have you heard “you don’t know what you don’t know”?
Until certain facts and experiences are presented to you; you might not know what you really “should” know!
I’m here to help! I wanted to write about some nutrition and fitness facts that through the years I have learned; and I realize many haven’t been exposed to these facts and don’t know they don’t know!
Interesting facts about the FDA…
Nutrition facts label. Mandated by the FDA and required on most pre-packaged food sold for public consumption, the nutrition facts label is meant to serve as a guide to a specific product’s ingredients based on an average 2,000 calorie a day diet.
Although the FDA sets specific and explicit guidelines (down to the typeface and font size to be used), there remains room for ambiguity.
Moreover, did you know that restaurant and packaged foods can actually have more calories than what is indicated on the nutrition label? Studies have found that the worst offenders are side dishes — sometimes exceeding the restaurant’s reported calorie content by as much as 200 percent.
All of that aside here are 10 little known facts about the nutrition facts label:
Foods with less than five calories meet the definition of “calorie free”
If fat is present at a level below 0.5 g, the level of fat is expressed as 0 g
The term serving or serving size means an amount of food customarily consumed per eating occasion by persons 4 years of age or older
The serving size for maraschino cherries is one cherry
Manufacturers determine the accuracy of the nutrient contents of their own product(s)
The FDA does not check for the accuracy of product labeling (but will occasionally collect “surveillance” samples to monitor the accuracy of nutrition information)
The FDA does not maintain a database of nutrition information, but instead reviews and accepts industry databases
For products usually divided for consumption (e.g., cake, pie or pizza), the serving size shall be the fractional slice of the ready-to-eat product (e.g., 1/12 cake (tiny piece), 1/8 pie (tiny slice), 1/4 pizza – usually two slices)
Sulfites are considered incidental ingredients and need not be listed among the label’s ingredients
Allergens other than the eight major food allergens are not subject to FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) labeling requirements. FALCPA’s labeling requirements do not apply to a sandwich that was prepared by say, a deli or a restaurant. Incidentally, the eight major food allergens as defined by the FALCPA are: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.
Here are some fun facts about fitness:
1. For every pound of muscle you have, you burn an extra 50 kcals
2. Muscle weighs 3x more than fat, but is smaller in size (so when you put on muscle, you
might weight a little more and be much smaller!
3. If you are playing with kids and keeping up to their pace…that is equivalent in caloric burn
as a vigorous hike.
4. Mentally visualizing completing a fitness activity is a powerful way of motivating yourself to
complete it. The more you visualize, the more realistic your outcome will be.
5. One pound of body fat represents about 3500 calories of exercise. Generally, running consumes about 100 calories per mile and cycling about 20 calories per mile. The numbers vary with speed, body weight, and fitness level.
6. Muscle confusion workouts are very important to create a fit body. Yahoo.com reports over 88 thousand hits on the phrase “Muscle Confusion.” As opposed to repeating the same workout day after day, Muscle Confusion workouts vary the activities in order to keep your body from adapting too quickly. We previously referred to this epiphany as “cross-training”. For example, a marathon runner intersperses speed work, cycling, and weight training with traditional long distance running workouts. This strategy offers mental and physical benefits. Your body must continuously adapt to new stresses and your mind receives varying amounts of stimulation. You don’t get bored as quickly.
Most of all…keep learning, we all know that when we stop learning, we lack growth and empowerment! Stay educated and interested!